Many software applications today offer a single variable background color that can be set upon execution of the application. For example, the software application includes a color palette from which the user can select a background color. The application then applies the user-selected color to the background of the application's component window. The graphical style created by these single variable background color applications may not be responsive to the needs of users looking to create a unique graphical style for their software.
Unique graphical styles are effective marketing tools for software applications. Visibly different and aesthetically pleasing software applications standout and enable users to distinguish among different software applications. Also, unique graphics such as highlight and shadow lines, enable software designers to direct the user's eyes to specific locations and, thus, control where the user focuses his attention. Software applications implementing the foregoing technique may be easier to use and understand than software applications that offer only generic graphics.
Oftentimes, software designers use identifiable colors to direct the user's eyes to specific locations. However, using only identifiable colors may not direct color deficient users to specific locations because they may unable to identify certain colors. However, color deficient viewers may be able to identify lines created by highlight and shadow contrasts. Software designers may direct color deficient users to a specific location by using unique graphics such as highlight and shadow lines and, thus, make software applications easier to understand and use.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a new apparatus and method for creating and superimposing highlights and shadows onto the background of software applications' component windows and, thus, creating a brush texture graphical style within the windows. Using this apparatus and method, software designers can offer a graphical style that includes backgrounds having subtle to bold brush texture graphics superimposed thereon, rather than simply providing a flat background color. The present invention enables users to create unique graphical styles for their software.